Badger Frogs
by flightlessraven
Summary: Aang couldn't sleep one night because of the Badger Frogs' croaking. But she was up too. And she had her head in her hands. That signaled to the Airbender that there was definitely something wrong with Katara. Between the Boiling Rock & Southern Raiders.


I just kind of threw this one together when I was out sick from school and bored out of my mind. I watched the Boiling Rock and the Southern Raiders and decided to add something in between them. I really couldn't think of a decent name, sorry. Haha. So yeah. This takes place in between the Boiling Rock and the Southern Raiders.

**Disclaimer: I'm pretty sure I don't own Avatar: the Last Airbender. Actually. No. I'm positive I don't.**

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**Badger Frogs**

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If the Western Air Temple wasn't overflowing with badger frogs, maybe Aang could've slept better that night.

But, thanks to them and probably a few more reasons, he never fully fell asleep.

Aang twisted and turned about on Appa, trying to get comfortable, but he couldn't sleep. At all. And it was annoying the hell out of him.

He finally gave up and decided to stay awake. Not like he had before the invasion. No, just until his body finally gave up and fell asleep. He would've gotten up, but he knew that he would wake someone else up, knowing his luck. So he shifted once more on his beloved bison and just thought. Maybe if he thought for a while, he could get tired and finally sleep. He deserved it, after the homework Zuko gave him while he and Sokka went to the Boiling Rock as they later found out.

Stupid badger frogs.

Thanks to Sokka and Zuko, their group, Team Avatar as Sokka called it, had three new members. Suki, Katara and Sokka's father Hakoda, and Chit Sang. Sounded like some adventure. Impersonating guards, getting thrown into "coolers", starting prison riots, capturing the warden, fighting Azula and Ty Lee, almost having the line cut on the gondola… Aang would've gladly gone with them, but of course, he had to do hot-squats.

Katara, Sokka, and Hakoda had had a long "family reunion" as Aang called it that night. They all sat there on one of the ledges of the temple and talked. Aang had smiled at them. He knew how much Katara and Sokka had missed their father. So much so, he recalled, that they almost left him for it a long while ago. Towards the beginning of their long journey as a team.

But Aang felt a tinge of sadness as he watched them laugh and be together. It was something Aang never really experienced. A family. A real, biological family.

Aang honestly didn't know much at all about his parents. After he was born, he was put in Gyatso's care. Monk Gyatso. Aang's first best friend. The one who had raised him and taught him everything he knew. The one that made him laugh and cheered him up constantly. The one that he was supposed to be taken away from, causing Aang to run away and become frozen in that iceberg in the first place. Aang had seen him one last time with Sokka and Katara. Although, it was the Gyatso Aang never wanted to see.

His bones.

Gyatso's skeleton.

Aang remembered being so angry at the Fire Nation, forcing himself into the Avatar State, once he saw what was left of the man that had raised him. He remembered how Katara was the one to calm him down.

She still is the only one that can.

Yeah, there was definitely something special about Katara.

And Aang was fully aware of it.

But he couldn't help the sigh that had escaped his throat after he watched the three of them. He was happy for them. But it made Aang realize what he'd give to have his people back, especially Gyatso.

Aang rolled over again on Appa, turning to face the cliff's edge. His silver eyes then widened when he saw a familiar figure sitting on the edge.

Quietly, Aang bended himself off of Appa and onto his feet. The bison grumbled in his sleep as Aang approached the one sitting on the cliff's edge.

She had her head in her hands. That signaled to the Airbender that there was definitely something wrong with Katara.

Katara heard footsteps and quickly sat up. She wasn't crying, but she was close. She quickly turned to find Aang, a concerned look plastered on his gentle complexion. She brushed her hair back and gave a weak smile.

"You couldn't sleep?"

Aang shrugged.

"Have I mentioned yet how much I hate badger frogs? Not only have they made me sore, but they also keep me awake at night."

Katara smiled again and let a small laugh escape her.

"Actually, I'm fine. I just saw you over here and you looked upset. Are you okay?" Aang asked, whispering so he didn't wake up the others. He sat by her side, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Katara sighed. She could pass up the opportunity to talk about what she was feeling easily. She could always lie and say, "I'm fine." But she didn't feel like she needed to do that. It was Aang. Aang was always there for her. So she sighed and began to speak.

"I should be happy right now. Sokka brought my father back from a Fire Nation prison and reunited us again." she began. She looked down at her feet, and then down at the cliff's bottom. She couldn't see it. It was covered by clouds.

Aang listened carefully, taking his hand off her shoulder. Yes, he had recently kissed her. Before the invasion began, in a stroke of bravery and fear, he had placed his lips upon hers. He could never forget that. Never. Aang was sure if he tried hard enough, he'd be able to remember exactly what it felt like to have his lips on Katara's. But, since then, Katara had shown no signs of making their friendship anything more at the moment. So he removed his hand, as to not make her uncomfortable. He looked down at the steep drop from the cliff too.

"I should be happy. Extremely happy. And I am. But… but all of this is making me miss my entire family. Especially my mother." she paused, taking a deep breath, before she continued.

"Last night, Sokka and I remembered all the great things that happened in our childhood with our mother. Our dad told us family memories and our favorite stories. It made me miss her so much."

Aang looked over at her. He was surprised at Katara's thought process because it pretty much matched his exactly. Wasn't he just remembering Gyatso a few seconds ago?

Yeah.

There was definitely something special about Katara.

"Today's the anniversary, Aang."

Katara looked over at him, making Aang raise an eyebrow.

"Anniversary of what?"

By habit, Katara clutched her mother necklace that was tied around her neck. She held the tears back that were beginning to form as she thought more and more about that day. A day she would always remember. A day that gave her a scar deeper and larger than even Zuko's.

"Three years ago today, the Southern Water Tribe was raided. And I lost her."

She looked back at her feet dangling over the clouds to hide it. One single tear rolled down her cheek slowly as she tightened her grip on the necklace. Her hand was turning white from all the pressure she was putting on it. A circular ring was imprinted into her palm.

Aang noticed her starting to cry. Carefully, not trying to do anything that could scare her away and ruin any further chances with them making their relationship anything more, he lifted his finger and wiped that lone tear off her cheek. At this, Katara looked up at him, slightly blushing.

"Katara, I know your mother was a wonderful person." Aang said, smiling at the Waterbender he was in love with.

Katara nodded, another tear falling on its own. She took his hand that had wiped away her first tear and squeezed it hard.

"Aang, I wish you could've met her. She's the strongest, bravest, most beautiful and loving woman I will ever meet in my life." she answered him, letting go of his hand. It fell back to Aang's side.

Aang chose his next words ever so carefully.

"Katara, if she's anything like you, I know I would have loved her."

If that wasn't a large hint of his secret, he didn't know what was.

But Katara was caught up in thoughts of Kya, so she missed it.

She smiled at Aang's words though, and wiped her own tear away this time.

"I know you would've. She believed you were alive. She had all the hope in the world that you would return and save us all, just like I believed in you. And just like I still do." Katara said, locking eyes with the Avatar again.

"I know your mom would be so proud of you right now. You're risking everything to help save this war-filled world from the Fire Nation. Katara, I don't know if you've even fully realized how… how amazing you are! I mean, you're teaching the Avatar Waterbending!" Aang laughed, his silvery eyes not leaving their lock with hers. God, she was beautiful. Everything about her was beautiful. What he would give to call her his. What he would give to kiss her again. But he had to restrain himself.

Katara blushed slightly again, pulling her knees up towards her chest and placing her chin on top of them. She hugged them tightly.

"Thanks, Aang. I would have never guessed that I, a simple Water Tribe… peasant, would teach the great and all-powerful Avatar my element." Katara stated. It was the truth. A year ago, Katara could only dream of even seeing the Avatar from just a far-away distance. Now, here she was pouring her heart out to this once immature, goofy, and 12-year-old current Avatar. But she had definitely seen him mature. A lot. She hadn't lied during that conversation on the submarines. That would be a conversation that she wouldn't be forgetting anytime soon. Especially after Aang… well…

You know.

Aang's eyes widened.

"Katara, you are definitely not a Water Tribe peasant. What would make you even consider that?" he asked her.

"I… I don't know."

There was another pause.

"Why did it have to be her life taken by the Fire Nation? Why couldn't it have been me? I should be the one that's dead! Not her!" Katara said, angry with herself. It must've been her fault. Her fault for her own mother's death.

Why.

Why.

Aang looked over at her. He moved closer to Katara. He put his arm around her as she began to shiver. She was crying again. Aang couldn't see her face because it was still hiding in her knees. But he knew she was.

"Katara, do you remember a long time ago, back when we were just beginning our journey, there was a man who called me out on not being there when the world needed me? Remember? There was a shortage of food and Sokka had to get a job. His boss was the one who said that. You got really defensive, but I realized he was telling the truth and flew off. There was a really bad storm that night. You came and found me in a cave and I told you the story of my escape. How I was supposed to be taken away from Gyatso, so I ran away. I told you how there was a bad storm that night that Appa and I got caught in. How I went into the Avatar State and froze myself in that ice berg."

He paused for a second.

"And then you told me that stuff like that happens for a reason. If I hadn't frozen myself, I would've never met you. And maybe you're right. Maybe I would've been killed along with the rest of the Airbenders when the Fire Nation raided the temples. But that proves my point. Katara, there's a reason she was the one who was killed. There's a reason that you're still alive. There's a reason you're here right now. It's your destiny to be here. To be my Waterbending teacher. To be my… friend."

Katara slowly stopped crying as she listened to Aang. He was right. Again. She must be here for some reason. There was a reason it was her mother that was killed. If she had been killed, she would've never met Aang. Just like he said.

She slowly sat up. Right into Aang's open arms. The more Katara thought about it, his arms were always there for her to fall into. He was always there. Ready for anything. Ready to listen.

So they sat there, hugging, as the last of the Waterbender's tears fell. They sat there, holding onto each other, bracing themselves for the next trial their destines would force upon them.

And as the two sat there in their embrace, neither of them paid any attention to the badger frogs that were still noisily croaking off in the distance. They were too busy listening to each other's breath and heart beats as, soon enough, they fell asleep.

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Pretty fluffy, right? But I like the way this turned out.

Reviews are welcome. Yup. Definitely welcome.

Love, Liz.

(AKA, flightlessraven)


End file.
